Combined spirit-level and gage.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. T'. D. ROWAN.

COMBINED SPIRIT LEVEL AND GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 00"! 20, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m n w z o r m u H 3 Wihmgom PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. T. D. ROWAN.

COMBINED SPIRIT LEVEL AND GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lllill|ll llll 17760591? .fian aiz No. 792,930. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

' T. 1). ROWAN.

COMBINED SPIRIT LEVEL AND GAGE.

VAPPLIGATION FILED 001 .20, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

gnuznfoz No. 792,930. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. T. D. ROWAN.

COMBINED SPIRIT LEVEL AND GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1904.

4 SHBETS-HEET 4.

7,7290 dare flan/Q12 No. 792,930. Patented June 20,1905.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEETcE.

THEODORE DAVID ROWAN, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO LEONIDAS BYRD DOZIER, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED SPIRIT-LEVEL AND GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,930, dated June 20,1905. Application filed October 20,1904. Serial No. 229,299.

To all whom it may conc rn: prises a pair of side members or plates 2,ar- 5 BeitknownthatLTI-IEODORE DAVIDROWAN, ranged in spaced parallelrelation to produce acitizen of the United States, residing at Coacentral longitudinal opening or slot 3, each lumbia, in the county ofRichland' and State of of said plates 2 being provided at its longitu-South Carolina, have invented new and useful dinal center and upon itsinner face with a Improvementsin aCombined Spirit-Level and circularrecess or seat 4: and having attached 5 5 Gage, of which the followingis a specificaupon its outer face, at its longitudinal center, tion. aplate 5, in which is formed a horizontal This invention relates to acombined spiritsight-opening 6 and a semicircular slot 7, ar-

1 level and gage, and has for its objects to proranged beneath theopening 6.

duce asimple inexpensive device of this char- Disposed between theplates 2 and respecacter which in practice will efficiently performtively in the recesses 1 is a pair of circular the functions of a level,square, and angular heads 8, journaled for rotation upon a common gagefor truing a wall or building and for deaxle 9, preferably in the formof a set-screw,

I5 termining the various and proper angles of each of these headshavinga semicircular parthe beams, joists, &c., employed in the conallelextension or enlargement 10, normally struction of the latter and fordetermining the overlying the adjacent slot 7 which latter is angles onwhich the ends of the beams and concentric with thepivotal axis 9 andreceives joist are to be cut. a set-screw or other clamping member 11,by 20 A further object of the invention is to prowhich the head may befixed against movevide a device of this character by which the ment. 7o

falling degree of a floor or surface may be Each of the heads 8, whichis'provided with readily and accurately determined and the a transverserecess for the reception of aspiritspirit-tubes adjusted accordingly.tube 12, has a sight-opening 13 adapted to 2 5 With these and otherobjects in view the innormally register with a corresponding openventioncomprises the novel features of coning 14 in the normally upper edge ofthe level struction and combination of parts more fully to permit ofinspection of the spirit-bubble hereinafter described. and carries anarm 15, provided at its outer In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isend with a finger or extension 16, designed to 30 a side elevation of adevice embodying the in engage a stop or abutment 17 at the end ofvention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the and between the plates 2,whereby when the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Figs. 4, arms areinnormal position between the plates 5, and 6 are transverse sectionstaken, respecand within the recess 3 the spirit-tubes will tively, onthe lines 1 4c, 5 5, and 6 6 of Fig. be in level position. Each arm 15comprises 3 5 2. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, aprimary section 18 and a secondary section of the level, showing oneside of the casing 19, having, respectively, longitudinal slots 20removed. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of one and 21, which register forthe reception of of the rotary heads and the primary section fasteningdevices or screws 22, carried by the p of one of the adjustable armsattached theresections for securing the latter together and 4 to. Fig. 9is aperspective view of the secondpermitting of their relativelongitudinal adary section of one of the adjustable arms. justment orextension to vary the length of Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one ofthe the arms. tram-points. Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation The outerside face of each of the plates 2 showing certain adjustments of thevarious is graduated, as at 23, to designate feet and 45 arms or memberscarried by the level. Fig. inches, while the normally upper edges of the12 is a similar view showing another adjustsections 2 are graduated at24 to indicate dement of said arms. grees, similar degree graduations 25being Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the formed upon the arms15, while upon the outer spirit-level as a whole, which preferablycomfaces of the plates 6 and traversing the pivotal axis of the heads 8are radiating degree-lines 26, disposed at angles respectively tointersect the degree graduations 24 upon the faces of the plates 2, itbeing understood that the graduations 24 and 25 are conventionallyindicated herein. The device is also equipped with a pair of arms orheads 27 each gradu-' ated in inches, as at 28, and provided with aprimary longitudinal slot 29 and a secondary outwardly-opening slot 30,which latter permits of said arms being seated over a pair of set-screws31 32, arranged at the ends and in alinement transversely of the level 1to thus adapt the device for use as a try-square. Furthermore, thedevice is provided with a pair of tram-points 33, which may be attachedby set-screws 34: to the ends of the arms 15 or 27 for the purpose ofdescribing circles.

In practice the arms 15 are normally housed within the recess 3 betweenthe plates 2, and the arms 27 are temporarily attached to the outer faceof one of the plates, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, under whichconditions the device may be employed for and perform the ordinaryfunctions of a spirit-level. When,- however, it is desired to use thedevice as a square, one of the arms 27 is detached from the level 1 andseated in position upon the retaining members 31 32, as indicated at theright-hand end of Fig. 11. If in the use of the device it becomesdesirable to ascertain any degree upon the margin of a square or circle,one of the retaining members or setscrews 32 is removed and the adjacentarm 15 is turned upon its pivot 9 until its edge intersects thecorresponding appropriate degree graduation upon one of the plates 2,whereupon the active edge of the arm 15 will aline with thecorresponding line 26 on the plate, and a line drawn parallel with andin continuation of the said degree-line 26 to intersect the margin ofthe circle or square will give the desired degree upon the latter.Again, if it be desirable to ascertain the pitch of a roof and thecorresponding angle of the rafters a pair of the arms 15 and 27 may bearranged as designated in Fig. 11, or for ascertaining the angle of aroof relative to the walls of the building the parts may be arranged asillustrated in Fig. 12.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple deviceadmirably adapted for ascertaining the appropriate level or plumb of thewalls, floors, and roof of a building and for determining the relativeangular degrees of the various parts and the true measurements of thelatter and for various other purposes, which will be apparent to oneskilled in building construction, and this without the use of othermeasuring instruments or gages. In attaining these ends it is to beunderstood that various minor changes in the details herein set forthmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.In a device of the class described, a body comprising a pair of spacedmembers producing a longitudinal recess, said members having upon theirinner faces circular recesses, a pair of heads pivoted upon a commonaxle and disposed respectively in the circular recesses, spirit-tubescarried respectively by the heads, and a pair of arms normally disposedin the longitudinal recess and fixedly connected one to either of theheads.

2. In a device of the class described, an elongated body comprising apair of spaced plates, a pair of retaining members disposed in spacedalinement transversely of the body, a graduated arm adapted forengagement with the retaining members to be maintained thereby at rightangles to the body, an arm pivotally connected with the body at itslongitudinal center, and a spirit-tube carried by the head.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE DAVID ROWAN.

I/Vitnesses:

E. 0. DE PAss, A. C. DE PASS.

